Arfryn, Argoed & Coed llys

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the south-eastern corner of the drying ground immediately to the north of the former kitchen garden to Penrhyn Castle; iron horizontal-railed enclosure to garden area on west.

History

A building is shown on this site on a map of the Penrhyn Estate in 1804 and it may at that time have served as a gardener's cottage. Considerably extended or rebuilt c1840 the present building served as the estate laundry in the later C19, although presumably also retaining a domestic function at the same time. It is now divided into 3 cottages.

Exterior

2-storey Classical style building with main range, partly of double-depth plan, aligned north-south, employing a combination of uncoursed and regularly coursed and dressed pink sandstone blocks with tooled ashlar quoins, the uncoursed stonework probably originally rendered; shallow-pitched hipped slate roof. West elevation virtually entirely fenestrated with irregularly-spaced sash windows of varying sizes (some horned) in quoined surrounds to both floors; entrances to left in angle with slight projection and to far right through fully glazed double doors with decorative overlight; 3 ridge stacks, centre rendered, outer of purple brick. Further sash windows on each floor of right return and also to south wall of double-depth section. Rear (east) elevation has 12- and 16-paned 2-light casements and one 18-paned 3-light casement window.

Interior

Interior not inspected at time of Survey.

Reason for designation

Included as part of a well-preserved set of estate buildings immediately adjacent to the former kitchen garden of Penrhyn Castle with which it has strong group value. The building is typical of the plain Classical style favoured by the Penrhyn Estate for much of its building work c1840.